Hello there! I thought I would ask here since you kind people seem to be knowledgeable on the history of tobacco.
I was wondering why N.T. is preferred in spite of N.R.'s higher alkaloid content, especially considering that N.R. is native to North America, where N.T. has displaced it. Does it grow notably faster than N.R., or are there other reasons?
Hello! I was wondering which one of these nicotine- containing tobacco plants to grow. I understand that the tobacco industry prefers Tabacum despite markedly lower nicotine content. Is this solely because of taste? Or does Tabacum have benefits in growth speed? Which one would be better assuming I would be extracting the nicotine? What are the requirements of each regarding temperature and humidity?
Thank you in advance for any answers.
Why do I ferment it instead of just drying it? What would happen if I hang dried it instead of going through the process of fermenting it. What would be the difference and how do I do it
I heard the native americans smoked the flowers. Did they process the flower in any way? And also. When they smoked the leafs did they ferment or just dry it
Do any cigarettes use Nicotiana rustica (a species of strong tobacco distinct from the usual Nicotiana tabacum) in their blends? This type of tobacco was used in America before the introduction of milder N. tabacum from the Caribbean and is still somewhat common in Vietnam and Russia. I recall reading on Wikipedia that American Spirit started out using N. rustica in its blend, but I don't know if they still do. (I am not a smoker, just fascinated by tobacco for some reason).
So I recently started reading about snuff, and decided to make my own from my home-grown Aztec tobacco, a particularly strong type of tobacco. The snuff I am referring to is nasal snuff, which is gently sniffed up the nose, not chewing snuff. Nasal snuff isn't snorted like cocaine, it's just supposed to gather in your nose so the body can absorb it slowly. Instructions on how to use nasal snuff are at the bottom of this post.
The Aztecs used Nicotiana rustica as snuff in the form of rapè, an unfortunately named powder made of ashes and finely ground tobacco. They actually blew the snuff up each other's noses with a long tube, and anyone who follows this recipe is welcome to do so, but I find it works well by gently sniffing it off the corner of a piece of paper, or a key, or whatever else.
Anyway, here's the recipe. It's not the way the Aztecs used to make it, but it works. The measurements may not be entirely accurate, but it shouldn't affect the quality of the final product too much. You can't really go wrong if you add too much or too little of any of the below ingredients.
Recipe
1/8 cup finely ground tobacco. This can be achieved by taking dry tobacco leaves and grinding them in a mortar and pestle. Note: The powder needs to be extremely fine. If the leaves aren't dry enough, you won't be able to grind them up properly, I learned this the hard way. Put the cut up leaves in a microwave for 10-20 seconds until they're bone dry, then use the mortar and pestle to grind them up to a fine powder.
1/8 teaspoon sodium carbonate. It's very hard to measure this out properly, so I didn't bother. The sodium carbonate is used to increase the potency of the snuff, and is essential to making strong snuff. You probably won't be able to measure out 1/8 teaspoon, but just try your best. Sodium carbonate can be made by heating baking soda (NOT baking powder) in the oven at 200 F.
1/4 teaspoon salt. This is just for flavor, I think, so it's optional. Won't affect the potency, as far as I know.
Mix all the ingredients together in a small jar or container, shake well. The final product will be very dry. You can add a teaspoon of water to moisten it a little, but I haven't tried this.
The effects
Depending on the potency of your tobacco crop, the effects can range from a decent buzz accompanied with mental clarity to a strong head rush. Personally I get a buzz and clear mind. The effects last about 10 minutes, in my experience. It's nice to sniff
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You know, I've tried common cigarillas that are made from Nicotiana tabacum and felt just good. Though, when I tried some cheap Nicotiana rustica — I felt amazing, even extremely drowsy. I've not delved that deep into that matter, though common wiki just states that Nicotiana rustica contains more nicotine, than Nicotiana tabacum. Also, cigarillas made of Nicotiana tabacum should be smoked more, than N. rustica. I mean, when I smoke "rustica" it requires less for me to be smoked, relaxed I mean (ha-ha). Sometimes even when I smoke rustica — it's like a perfect stuff for relaxing and, at the same time, it is in handy to be smoked prior to sleep, because it can be used as a sleep aid. Anyone tried these two types of tobacco? What about your experiences? You know, personally, I think Nicotiana rustica can be a perfect addition to "herbalist kit".
Also, on wikipedia it is stated that it contains (N.rustica) beta-carbolines, including the harmala alkaloids harmane and norharmane. I think this may be interesting for some, also. I haven't delved too deep into those matters, I'm just into practical approach to those things for now. So, any thoughts and opinions are welcome.
